Surface Treatment Tool

ABSTRACT

By, according to the invention, designing a surface treatment tool with a grinding head ( 16, 17 ) with cylindrical rollers ( 18 ), so that the tool ( 16, 17, 18 ) is balanced by weight because the tool&#39;s centre of gravity is close to the tool&#39;s surface treatment area, the tool ( 18 ) will automatically adjust according to the surface ( 25 ) of the treated workpiece, regardless of the level of the surface. Hereby is achieved a previously unknown simple way to surface treat, be it flat and curved workpiece surfaces alike. Furthermore, the tool ( 16,17,18 ) is balanced by weight so that treatment pressure can be adjusted according to need.

PRIOR ART

The disclosure relates to a surface treatment tool for treatment of workpiece surfaces, which tool comprises a rotating tool head on which is radially mounted several rotating tools, which tools comprise cylindrical cutting or grinding rollers.

Surface treatment in the form of grinding, deburring, delustring, polishing, etc., of workpieces either for the purpose of finishing or to make the surface suitable for additional treatment, such as application of a surface layer or for pre-treatment of surfaces that are to be joined, is very widespread and therefore the need for efficient equipment for these purposes is substantial.

Concurrently, the development towards large curved surfaces such as segments for airplanes, automobiles, trains, wind turbine blades, and the like, with so-called three-dimensional surfaces has increased, and such large workpieces are also to be surface treated, for example in preparation for joining with other components or for the purpose of a finishing surface treatment.

Equipment for surface treatment of flat as well as curved surfaces of limited size is known. Thus, such workpieces will be of the kind that they can either be placed on a conveyor and pass through a treatment machine or the equipment can be moved across the workpiece.

From FR 3001 169 A1 is known a grinder for grinding of curved surfaces (12). The head of the tool is gimballed in the suspension. In one embodiment the head of the tool is equipped with opposite bearings (52) with a tilt axis (50), to which the suspension (54) is mounted. The suspension (54) is mounted to a fitting aperture (56) with a tilt axis (50) which is perpendicular on the axis (50). The fitting aperture (56) comprises a supporting frame (22, 46), which by its opposite end is mounted to the bracket of the tool (40, 42). The supporting arm is supported by a weight compensator consisting of a spring or a pneumatic cylinder. However, as the grinding wheel is designed to face sidewards, and not downwards, the weight compensator does not affect the pressure of the tool against the workpiece surface. For that is used another actuator which presses the head of the tool against the surface by rotation about the axis.

Furthermore is known from U.S. Pat. No. 939,373 A a surface treatment tool comprising a rotating tool head (31) on which is radially mounted several grinding rollers (37) where each roller is mounted around an axis, which is perpendicular on the rotary axis of the tool head. The tool comprises a suspension (24, 25) which is supported by an adjustable weight compensator (53, 57, 59) for adjustment of the pressure of the tool head against the workpiece surface.

These known tools, however, suffer several disadvantages. Primarily that the tool is not balanced as to weight, which leads to a variable grinding effect as the pressure of the tool against the workpiece surface is not constant but variable. There is no kind of self-regulation of the grinding effect.

SUMMARY

An objective is to remedy these limitations and inconveniences, and may be achieved using a surface treatment tool with a tool head which is fitted with opposite bearings with an axis of rotation, to which bearings the ends of a suspension is mounted, which suspension is mounted to a fitting aperture with an axis of rotation, which is perpendicular on the axis of rotation of the tool head, and where the axis of rotation runs on a level below the suspension's axis of rotation.

In this surprisingly simple way is obtained a self-adjustable tool which can treat a surface, whether it is flat or curved, as the tool itself follows the shape of the workpiece because of its suspension. Thus the treatment tool automatically adjusts to the shape of the workpiece without the need for other control, all because of the balanced suspension.

Thus, the tool suspension constitutes a ‘balanced’ suspension, where the tool's centre of gravity is lower than the positioning, and contributes to a constant self-regulation of the tool during its rotation. The effect is similar to gyro-devices where a flywheel, tool head, with a stable rotational movement on a perpendicular level combined with a rotation of the flywheel, the tool head around the axis. This non-intuitive movement of the axis is called precession.

In other words, the tool is self-aligning and can adjust to the surface shape as the centre of gravity is close to the tool's central point of treatment. This contributes to achieving the balanced tool which easily and effortlessly can follow the surface of the workpiece as it will constantly seek to adjust its working positions to the surface conditions.

Furthermore is achieved a treatment operating radius which alone depends on the extension of the suspension.

By mounting the suspension on a supporting frame, which is mounted on the bracket or base plate of the tool, the area of treatment will be of such a size that it is only limited by the distance between the bracket and the tool head itself and, in addition, the tool will be able to treat relatively substantial level differences on the workpiece.

By supporting the supporting arm by means of a compensator for balancing the weight of the tool it is possible to adjust the tool to the desired treatment pressure and the desired treatment force.

By allowing the tool's suspension to be rotatably mounted in a fitting aperture it is possible to treat workpiece surfaces that are similarly oriented.

Finally, it is appropriate to use such a tool for treatment of flat as well as three-dimensional surfaces as the tool will be able to follow the surface contours by itself without further adjustments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

An embodiment for a surface treatment tool will be described in detail in the following with reference to the drawing where

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a horizontally suspended tool,

FIG. 2 shows the tool from above, and

FIG. 3 shows the tool head treating a workpiece withan inclined surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiment shown in the figures will in the following be described as a device for especially grinding, delustring and similar surfaces where the tool is shaped as a grinding roller known as Fladdervalser®.

These rollers 18 are, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, cylindrical tools consisting of slotted circular grinding elements which are juxtaposed to form a roller, thereby obtaining a grinding tool that is safe to use as a uniform grinding effect is obtained even where there are level differences in the workpiece surface.

As is shown by the figures, each roller 18 is secured to an axle-journal 17, of which this example has six journals spread evenly around the grinding head.

This grinding head contains a gearing driven by a motor 16.

The exchange is such that the grinding rollers 18 will be rotated around the centre axis of the tool, axis of rotation 19, in one direction 23, while the grinding rollers 18 will be rotated in adjacent opposite directions 24, as indicated with arrows in FIG. 3. This is to obtain a uniform surface treatment.

To rotate the house is mounted a motor 13 with a gear 14, which is in engagement with a gear rim 15. In this way, the tools can be rotated on the same level as runs perpendicular on the axis of rotation 19.

Instead of the grinding rollers, rollers with other treatment means such as metal brushes, cutting rollers, polishing rollers, rolling sanders, and similar depending on the purpose, can be mounted in exactly the same way.

The tool head is suspended in bearings 12, which are mounted on each side of the head so that they run in the centre level and so that the tool head with the tools 18 will have its centre of gravity in or close to the centre axis 19 by means of the suspension 12 in the head's axis of rotation. In this way, all the tools 18 will be on the same level.

In addition to being levelled the tool will, during the rotations and the rotation of the rollers, be in a balanced position. This is because the individual rollers 18 during their rotation will function as flywheels rotating in opposite directions during their rotation around the centre axis 19. This makes for a stable system as rotating flywheels on axles that rotate around a central axis.

This phenomenon, which is called precession and is known from gyroscopes, has the effect of achieving an almost complete balance of the occurring moments of inertia in the rotating parts and thereby an unusually even and uniform treatment of the workpiece. In addition are the major operational advantages which are achieved by this completely even load on tools, gears and bearings.

To obtain the gimbals of the tool house it is, as mentioned, mounted 12 to suspension in the form of a fork-like arm comprising two arms 10, 11, as shown in FIG. 2.

These arms are joined in a bearing 9 with an axis of rotation 21 for the suspension, which is perpendicular on the suspension axis 20 of the tool house. This constitutes the gimbal of the tool head which ensures that the head and thereby the tools 18 will always seek a position where they are levelled and dependent of the surface shape of the workpiece, and wherein the tool's centre of gravity will move towards the axis 19.

The position of the suspension 9 is embedded in a bearing house 8, which is supported by a device comprising two legs 3, 4, which ends are mounted 2 to the support bracket or base plate 1 of the device. This position 8 is tiltable around an axis 22, allowing the tool head to tilt up and down and in such a way that the tool can follow the surface contours 25. Not shown embedded barriers in the form of stops ensure that the tool head remains within its working area.

To balance the tool there is, under a traversing beam 7 which connects the legs of the supporting device 3,4, mounted an actuator 6, which can be of any suitable kind; mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic.

By means of this actuator 6 the weight of the tool head can be adjusted so that the tools 18 get the desired weight, and thereby the desired pressure against the surface of the workpiece 25.

If a higher treatment pressure is desired the balance is reduced, whereby the weight of the tool head is increased and vice versa. Hereby, the treatment pressure can be adjusted according to need.

By means of this device an even treatment pressure can be ensured, as well as a completely uniform treatment of the surface is ensured, whether this being arched, curved, concave or convex.

Furthermore, the weight balancing and the device's own weight together with the gimballed grinding equipment ensures a previously unknown freedom of treatment as the tool automatically adjusts according to the condition and shape of the surface.

This self-adjustment is achieved by simple means with no operational disadvantages; on the contrary a high degree of reliability, low wear and thus long durability is achieved without the use of energy and components such as adjustment equipment comprising sensors and adjustment settings. 

1. A surface treatment tool for treatment of workpiece surfaces, which tool comprises a rotating tool head on which is radially mounted several rotating tools (18), which tools include cylindrical, cutting or grinding rollers, wherein the tool is fitted with opposite bearings (12) with an axis of rotation (20) to which bearings (12) the ends of a suspension (10,11) are mounted, which suspension is mounted to a to a fitting aperture (8, 9) in an axis (21) of rotation, which axes (20, 21) run perpendicular to each other, wherein the axis of rotation (20) runs in a level below the axis of rotation (21) of the suspension (10, 11), and where the weight of the tool (17, 18) below the axis of rotation (20) is bigger than the weight of the too (13, 16) above the axis of rotation (20).
 2. The surface treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein the fitting aperture (8, 9) comprises a supporting frame (3, 4) mounted (2) to a support bracket or base plate (1).
 3. The surface treatment tool according to claim 2, wherein the supporting frame (3,4) is supported by a weight compensator (6) comprising an actuator for compensation of the weight of the tool (16, 17, 18) and the suspension (10, 11) and thus pressure of the tool (18) against a workpiece surface (25).
 4. The surface treatment tool according to claim 2, wherein the suspension (10,11) is rotatably mounted in the fitting aperture (8).
 5. A method of treating a surface with the surface treatment tool according to claim 1, wherein the surface is flat or uneven, including one or more of concave, convex and curved, and which extends substantially horizontally, vertically, or in between.
 6. A surface treatment tool for treatment of workpiece surfaces, which tool comprises a rotating tool head having several radially mounted rotating tools mounted thereon, wherein the rotating tools include cylindrical, cutting or grinding rollers, wherein the tool head is suspended for rotation about a suspension axis between separated ends of arms of a suspension device, wherein the suspension arms are supported at joined ends opposite to the separated ends by a fitting with a first axis of rotation that runs perpendicular to the suspension axis, wherein the suspension axis runs on a level below the first axis of rotation of the fitting, wherein the surface treatment tool has a center of gravity below the suspension axis, wherein the center of gravity is situated on a rotation axis of the rotating tool head that is perpendicular to the suspension axis.
 7. The surface treatment tool according to claim 6, wherein the suspension device is mounted at the joined ends for adjustment in position in response to movement of the fitting, wherein the supporting device has an actuator to move the fitting so that the center of gravity of the tool head is moved toward or away from a surface of a workpiece in order to adjust pressure exerted by the rotating tools against the surface of the workpiece.
 8. The surface treatment tool according to claim 6, wherein the fitting has a second axis that is parallel to the suspension axis, and wherein the fitting is connected to a supporting device.
 9. The surface treatment tool according to claim 8, wherein the supporting device has an actuator to move the fitting relative to a support of the supporting device.
 10. A method of treating a surface with the surface treatment tool according to claim 6, wherein the surface is flat or uneven, including one or more of concave, convex and curved, and which extends substantially horizontally, vertically, or in between. 